1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift lever for operating a transmission of a vehicle or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plurality of shift ranges are set in advance in an automatic transmission of a vehicle. An operating device, for selecting and operating these plural shift ranges, is provided in the vehicle. As this type of operation device, there is a so-called “straight-type” shift lever device.
The straight-type shift lever device has a shift lever. The shift lever is supported, at a predetermined region of the longitudinal direction proximal end side thereof, so as to be rotatable around an axis whose axial direction is the substantially left-right direction of the vehicle. The rotational position of the shift lever is detected by a position detecting device such as a microswitch or the like for example. An ECU or the like, which controls the automatic transmission, changes the shift range of the automatic transmission on the basis of the results of detection of the position detecting device.
The shift lever is provided with a detent mechanism for preventing inadvertent movement of the shift lever from, for example, a shift position (hereinafter, called “N position” for convenience) corresponding to a neutral range which cuts-off the transmission of driving force from the engine to the wheels, to a shift position (hereinafter called “R position” for convenience) corresponding to a reverse range which transmits driving force from the engine to the wheels and moves the vehicle rearward.
The detent mechanism has a detent rod. The detent rod is provided at the interior of the shift lever so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the shift lever. A detent pin is formed to project from the longitudinal direction proximal end side of the detent rod. The detent pin projects outside of the shift lever, and enters in a detent hole which is formed in a housing of the shift lever device.
When the shift lever is operated by being rotated, together with the shift lever, the detent pin rotates in the detent hole. In the state in which the shift lever has reached the N position, a projection, which is formed at the inner peripheral portion of the detent hole, opposes the rotating direction side of the detent pin at the time when the shift lever rotates to the R position. When an attempt is made to rotate the shift lever to the R position in this state, the projection interferes with the detent pin, and restricts rotation of the detent pin, and accordingly, rotation of the shift lever.
On the other hand, a button is provided at a knob for grasping which is provided at the distal end side of the shift lever. When this button is pushed and operated, the detent rod moves toward the proximal end side of the shift lever. In this way, the detent pin is set in a state in which it can avoid the aforementioned projection, and even when an attempt is made to rotate the shift lever from the N position to the R position, the projection does not interfere with the detent pin, and the shift lever can be rotated from the N position to the R position.
The structure of a shift lever which has such a button is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-151944.
In the shift lever disclosed in JP-A No. 11-151944, a knob button is rotatably supported at a supporting shaft which is provided at the inner side of the shift knob in a vicinity of the upper open end of the shift knob (the knob). The opening of a rectilinear, elongated hole is formed at the side of the supporting shaft of the knob button, which side is opposite the side at which a pushing surface is located.
A lever, which is bent in a substantial V-shape, is provided at the inner side of the shift knob. The lever is structured such that a supporting shaft is provided at the bent portion, and so as to be able to rotate around the supporting shaft. A pin is provided at an arm portion at one side of the bent portion of the lever. The pin enters into the aforementioned opening.
On the other hand, one end of a wire, which corresponds to the aforementioned detent rod, is engaged to an arm portion at the other side of the bent portion of the lever.
In this shift lever, when the pushing surface of the knob button is pushed, the knob button rotates around the supporting shaft. When the knob button rotates, the inner wall of the opening pushes up the pin, and rotates the lever around the supporting shaft. The other arm portion of the lever thereby pulls the wire.
In the shift lever disclosed in JP-A No. 11-151944, if a so-called “overstroke” state arises in which the amount of movement at the time when the knob button is pushed is too large, the arm portion at the one side of the bent portion of the lever is interfered with by the inner wall of the shift knob, and further rotation of the lever is restricted. When such interference arises, the rotating arm portion collides with the inner wall of the shift knob. Therefore, an impact noise arises accompanying this collision.